Improvement in presses



G. B. BOOMER.

PRESS.

No. 179,091.. Patented June 27,1876.

N. PETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D p.

the press is greatly increased.

GEORGE E. BOOMER, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,091, dated June 27,1876; application filed February 24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. BOOMER, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Presses, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing, is a full, clear, and exact description.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in platforms for cider-presses andother devices connected therewith, whereby the capacity of It consists,first, of a platform about double the length of an ordinary platform ofa cider-press, interposed between the follower and bed-plate, andmounted on trucks or wheels traversing on tracks at opposite sides ofthe press-bed, constructed and arranged to operate as hereinafter fullydescribed. Second, in the combination, with the said improved platform,of a wedging-key, placed transversely under the same to support it inthe center when the weight of the press is brought to bear upon it,

' substantially as hereinafter fully described.

The accompanying drawing fully illustrates my invention, wherein Figure1 is an end view of a press, with my improvements applied; Fig. 2, afront View of same, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section through line :10 00in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 1

b is the press-head rigidly secured at a fixed distance to the press-bedb by rods 1' r. a is the follower passing through and guided at the topby an opening in the press-head b, and guided at the bottom by claspsrigidly secured to the press-plate c, and loosely en gaging the rods 1"1". d is the platform which is interposed between the follower andpressbed, and of a length to carry a presser, 1), outside of thatwhichis under the follower a. It is mounted on wheels or trucks t, andtraverses on tracks 6 e at opposite sides of the press-bed b, and atright angles thereto, which tracks guide the platform at in its movementunder the follower. In order to reduce the height of the trucks t t Iterminate the tracks 0 e at the sides of the press-bed b, and allow thelatter to settle to its foundation below the tracks or rails. The truckst t are attached such a distance apart, and in such relative position tothe platform at that their contact with the press-bed will limit themovement of the platform in either direction, so as to bring the cheeseof pomace on the corresponding end of the latform directly under thefollower, thereby obviating delay and extra labor for adjusting thecheese under. the follower. fis a wedge-shaped key, which is placedtransversely under the platform at at the side of the press-bed,opppsitethat which is in contact with the trucks. This key supports theplatform when loaded and subjected to the additional weight of thepress. It rests on blocks n n, inclined to correspond with the taper ofthe key, andarranged on both sides of the press to support the platformin either position, and in such a manner as not to interfere with themovement of the trucks, Z l are posts secured to the floor, and firmlybraced at the top, and provided with vertical guiding surfaces for thepress-head and press-bed, which slide thereon, when the press is liftedfrom its foundation, and resting on the pomaee, thus bracing thepress-frame in its vertical movement. One construction of the guides isrepresented in the drawing by slots at m, in which slide studs 0 '0attached to the ends of the press-head and press-bed, and provided onthe ends with washer to and nut o.

\Vhen suitably located and admitted of by the surrounding structurethese posts can be substituted by short guides on the floor, and others,for the head-beam, secured to the ceiling or joists above.

In operating a press containing my improvements a cheese of pomace isplaced near one end of the platform at, and conveyed thereon under thefollower. The keyfis then adjusted under the platform and the pressapplied to the pomace. The action of this causes the press-frame to riseuntil the press-bed is brought against the under side of the platform,the posts l l guiding the press in its vertical movement and maintainingit in a vertical and operative position. While this cheese isbeingpressed another is laid at the otherend of the platform, and preparedfor pressing. At the proper time the press is reversed, allowing itfirst to settle to its foundation, and then causing the follower to risefrom the cheese. The platform d being thus relieved of the weight of thepress thekeyfis readily withdrawn, and the platform moved along to bringthe last laid pomace under the follower, when the key is placed underthe platform on the opposite side of the press-bed, and the pressapplied to the pomace, as before described. In the meantime the pressedcheese is removed, and another laid up and made ready to be transferredunder the follower. Thus, alternating from one. end of the platform tothe other, two men are able, with a powerpress, to lay up and press fromeighty to one hundred barrels of cider in ten hours.

I am aware that platforms of presses have been mounted on trucks orrollers before this, and therefore do not claim the same broadly.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement, with the press-bed b and platform d, of the trucks tt, attached to the platform such distance apart that their contact withthe press-bed will limit the movement of the platform, so as to bringthe cheese of pomace on the corresponding end of the platform, directlyunder the follower, and the rails or tracks a c terminated at the sidesof the press-bed, and allowing the same to settle to its foundationbelow the tracks, all constructed and arranged to operate substantiallyas and for the purpose specified and shown.

2. The combination, with the movable platform d, mounted on trucks 1? t,and the tracks GEORGE B. BOOMER.

Witnesses:

G. HoLMsTRUP, J r.,

1. O. LAASS.

